NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 29- Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART), an organization whose main effort is to help support victims of Human Trafficking is celebrating 10 years.
The organization has reached over 90,000 grassroots community members through its prevention efforts in Kenya and empowered 732 victims, 80pc being women and children.
During the celebration, Director and Founder of HAART Kenya Radoslaw Malinowski said, “HAART Kenya has been home to thousands of Victims of Human Trafficking over the last 10 years. Although we have dealt with highly traumatizing stories we have seen individuals grow and rebuild their lives through our support,” Malinowski added that the organization plans to put in place more shelters and programs to help end human trafficking in Kenya.
This year, 42 survivors of human trafficking received 8 days of economic empowerment and soft skills training that empowered them to be able to open businesses and pursue employment to help them rebuild their lives.
Austrian Ambassador to Kenya, Ambassador Christian Fellner said, “It is a great honor to witness these 10 years of celebration. This is a huge accomplishment in the fight to end human trafficking. The Government of Austria believes in empowering victims and therefore today I give a tribute to HAART Kenya among other Stakeholders among them the Government of Kenya, the media, private businesses, and community leaders, who have actively promoted the end of human trafficking in Kenya.
Last year, the organization launched a report on Emergency support to Survivors of Human Trafficking in Kenya during Covid-19 which has assisted the organization in developing Empowerment Programs to help Victims create sustainable lives.
“We urge the government of Kenya and all stakeholders that are involved in helping end Human Trafficking in Kenya to give us support. The Covid 19 pandemic made more Victims vulnerable to Human Trafficking. Therefore, there is more need to join effort to stop this and we are happy to be among the organizations in the frontline that is ensuring Victims are supported sustainably through empowering them to get jobs and start businesses,” said HAART Kenya’s Chairman Tonny Odera.
HAART Kenya is spearheading the development of a legal handbook specifically for many Actors working to end Human Trafficking in Kenya who accompany Victims to court but lack the technical knowledge on court operations and processes to be able to effectively support Victims in their pursuit of justice.
The legal handbook will be launched in mid-2022.
Awareness Against Human Trafficking was founded in 2010 by a passionate group of lawyers, missionaries, and humanitarians under the leadership of Radoslaw Malinowski who observed that Kenya had become a hub of Human Trafficking in East and Central Africa.
Since then, HAART Kenya has worked to fight Human Trafficking through a multi-disciplinary approach.
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